A faithful presence of love in the absences of our city.
February 24, 2022 by Justin Edgar
"We fail to remember that God is as the Psalmist describes: an abundant fountain, a river of delights, a full house, a radiant light. The Psalmist knows God never operates out of scarcity. Where we must begin with Deeper is recognizing the ever flowing depths of the fountain of God. He is living water, because it is always abundant and always flowing. Scarcity mindset keeps us from going deeper, because we are afraid the safety net either isn’t there or doesn’t go deep enough. We won’t risk, because we can’t. We can’t possibly risk such things. There might not be anything left. There might not be any left for me. We are all like Goldilocks lamenting lost porridge, broken chairs, and occupied beds. But God always has room and always makes room. He is an overflowing fountain."...
February 17, 2022 by Emily Spare
Abiding through the fall at City Pres meant holding on for dear life to your life preserver ring hoping the other side of the rope is attached to the rescue boat, continually clinging, continually waiting. But abiding in the new year at City Pres is what I think we’re being called into: “Deeper.” ...
February 28, 2019 by Justin Edgar
"Worship is participation in the order of God’s redeeming love. Each week we gather and participate in this story of love. We are formed and shaped by it individually and communally. We are told about it. We sing about. We taste it, see it, hear it, feel it, smell it. Our bodies are reanimated by this love." ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 27, 2019 | Tags: Worship, World, Practice, Liturgy
"The liturgies of the world that I had been holding onto (worship of self and denial of God’s presence) came crashing down, as I admitted to God how extremely desperate I was to dwell in His love rather than in myself."...
Keep ReadingFebruary 22, 2019 by Justin Edgar | Tags: Worship, love, Desire, liturgies
Jesus asks, “What do you love?” Notice the question isn’t what do you believe or what do you think, but what do you love. This is because humans are desiring creatures. We are lovers. What drives us is what we love....
Keep ReadingFebruary 21, 2019 by Bronwyn Siebert | Tags: Desire, Worship, confession
"Jesus is trying to get the man to see what he really loves. Justin reminded us that looking and loving comes tied together. It is tremendous grace that God reveals our hearts and helps us reorient them."...
Keep ReadingFebruary 14, 2019 by River Reifenrath | Category: Sermon Reflection
Last night, I sat around with my community group sipping on some decaf coffee and half-listening to the conversation as my ear was partially attuned to my son dumping a whole box of building blocks onto the floor in the room around the corner. The discussion had centered around God's faithfulness to Abraham throughout his life, and the many promises proclaimed directly to ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 7, 2019 by Emily Leslie | Category: Sermon Reflection
Justin's question to the little Christians in the room stuck with me as I listened to the sermon Will you go? And if you choose to go, what motivates you? Certainty and control motivate me... So, saying yes to something that involves mystery, faith, trust, and risk...is just really hard for me. What motivates me to go when certainty is not promised and control is out of ...
Keep Reading